The present application relates generally to an improved data processing apparatus and method and more specifically to mechanisms for generating a certified record that contains a sequence of observations of a set of uniquely identifiable items.
Electronic Product Codes (EPC) technologies provide the basis for traceability applications. As tagged items move through the supply chain, traceability applications record transaction data that is the basis for electronic pedigrees. The pedigree of an item is a list of records representing the custody changes for the item. An electronic pedigree records ownership changes such as an item sale by a manufacturer, acquisitions and sale by a wholesaler, and acquisition by a retailer.
An electronic pedigree, sometimes referred to as an epedigree or e-pedigree, is an electronic document that provides data on the history of a particular physical item or batch of a physical item. An electronic pedigree satisfies requirements for tracking physical items while using a convenient electronic form.
Supply chains increasingly encounter counterfeit items. Such products pose a wide range of risks, from revenue loss in the case of packaged consumer goods, to health hazard in the case of pharmaceutical products. Current electronic pedigree solutions attempt to address these risks by enabling supply chain partners to build an electronic pedigree which lists past and present custodians of the product. Distribution channels may sometimes involve complex circuits which makes source and transaction history verification almost impossible without electronic records.